Typewriter word counter



Feb. 15 1927.

s. J, SMITH TYPEWR I TER WORD COUNTER Filed March 1, 1926 iNVENTOR filljmiik W ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 15, 1927.

UNITED STATES [PA ENT OFFICE.

STEVEN 3'. SMITH, OF PORT RIQHMOITD, NEW YORK.

TYPEWRITER WORD COUNTER..

Application filed. larch 1, 13%, Serial No. 91,444, and inCanada-Tannery 26, 1926.

The main object of this invention is to provide a word countingmechanism which is applicable to typewriters and maybe readily mountedthereon. The counting mechanism cooperates with the keys and the spacebar of a typewriter by the provision parts in the drawing.

of a counting unit having a pivotedlever projecting beneath the spacebar which 1s adapted to be engaged bya bell crank opera able bydepression of the keys of the typewriter. The counting unit lever isadapted to be depressed by the space bar and is retained in suchdepressed position by the bell crank until it is released by depressionof one of the keys. This construction provides amechanism whichregisters every word, and prevents the depression of the space bar fromregistering a word unless said depression of the space bar immediatelyfollows the depression of a key.

The above and other objects will become apparent in the descriptionbelow, in which characters of reference refer to like-named Referringbrieflyto the drawing, Figure 1 is a to plan view of a corner of thetypewriter ey board, showing the counting mechanism mounted in placethereon. Figure 2 is a perspective View of the counting mechanism asmounted on thekey frame of the typewriter.

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the bellcrank mechanism, showingthe method of en aging the counting unit lever.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the my me'rallO indicates the sidebar of a frame which bountls the key board of a typewriter on theoutside and attached to this bar is ing longitudinal openings 12 thruwhich the numeral disks are visible. A lever 13 is pivoted to the sideof the counting mechanism and one end enters the casing 11 andcooperates with the mechanism therein actu: ating the numeral disks, orwhatever organization of structure is used. This lever passes across thethickness of the bar 10 in a slot 14 and then'is bent to extend parallelto said bar until it is aligned with the space bar 15 of the typewriter.In the aligned osition, the lever projects toward the space Ear as aflat arm 16 which is bent into a U- shaped member 17 at the endprojecting beneath said space bar. This U-shaped' memposition shown indotted lines in Figure 3 to the position shown in full lines in the samefigure.

Beneath the space bar 15, a lug 20 extends horizontally outward towardthe body of the typewriter and attached to this lug is a pin 21 and abushing on said pin which p'ivotally supports a bell crank 22. One ofthe arms is provided with a pawl 23 which is pivoted on the said arm ofthe bell crank, and said pawl is so constructed that it'cannot rotateupwardly beyond the position shown in Figure 3, but can be rotateddownwardly, being normally retained in its lifted position by aresilient spring element 24. This pawl is adapted to engage in thedepression 18 of the u-shaped member 17 lying at the extreme end of thearm 16, and when engaged in that depression, renders the countingmechanism inactive. The opposite arm of the bell crank has a rightangled extendin leg 25 integral therewith which projects lnwardly andaway from the front bar 19 of the typewriter frame. Beneath the arms 26of the keys 27, is a U-shaped frame consisting of side bars 28 and 29which are connected by a pair of parellel extending integral ribs 30 and31. The bars 28 and 29 are pivotally mounted on studs 32 at their outerends and the arms 26 on the typewriter keys 27 are adapted to lowerrotatively the U-shaped frame by engaging either-one of the connectingribs 30 or 31 when the arms of the typewriter keys are depressed. TheU-shaped frame actuated by the typewriter keys is adapted to be norinalllifted by a pair of flat springs 33 whic are mounted on the opposingside bars of the key board frame, one of which springs is shown mountedon the side bar 10in Figure 2.

The counting unit which has its disks or registering mechanism actuatedby the pivoted lever 13, is mounted on the outside of the bar 10 and isadapted to re ister every time the space bar is depressed following thecompletion of a word. The counting of the words is accomplished by theregistering mechanism in the casing 11 by a rotational movement of thelever 13 from the position shown in broken lines in Figure 3 to theposition shown in full lines in the same tigure. The end 01 the flat arm16, which is an integral part of the lever 13, terminates in a Ushapedmember 17 beneath one end of the space bar of the typewriter. Ordinarilywhen a word consisting of a series of letters has been completed on thetypewriter, the space bar is depressed so that a distance is leftbetween the ending of the first word and the beginning of the second.When the first word has been completed, the space bar is depressed,registering a word in the counting unit thru depression of the flat arm16 which rotates the lever 13, the latter actuating the counting unit.To prevent registering of additional spaces which are successively madeby movements or" the space bar, the additional mechanism is provided.This additional mechanism consists of the bell crank which interlocks inthe depression 18 of the U-shaped member 17 when the latter is depressedby lowering of the space bar 15, thus rendering the counting mechanisminactive. This position is illustrated by full lines in Figure 3 andwere the space bar to be successively depressed by the operator of themachine for any one of a number of reasons, the counting unit would notregister and therefore, any number ot spaces on the work can be providedwithout rendering inaccurate registering by adding the number of spacesto the number of words actually typed. When a space is made bydepressing the space bar 15, the flat arm 16 is interlocked with thebell crank in its low ered position by being engaged with the pawl 23,as illustrated in Figure 3. This renders the counting mechanism inactiveuntil one of the keys 2? is depressed. The arms 26 of the keys 27 whendepressed, engage either one ot' the connecting bars 336 or ill androtate these bars downwardly about the pivots 32. in rotatingdownwardly, they engage the leg of the bell crank 22, rotating the bellcrank away from the U- shaped member 17 against the tension of a flatspring 34. When this occurs, the pawl 23 is lifted out of the depression18, releasing the arm 18 and permitting the usually seli raisingactuator lever 13 of the counting unit to resume its normal positionindicated by broken lines in Figure 3 directly beneath the end of thespace bar 15. As the space bar is again lowered to form a space betweentwo adjacent words, the counting mechanism again registers by depressionof the flat arm 16 and U-shaped member 17, both of which are attachedand integral with the lever 13. With this mechanism, it is not possiblefor a counting unit to register a single number every time the space baris depressed once, since it is necessary that the keys be used to returnthe counting unit lever to its active position.

ll claim 1. In a word counter for a typewriter, an

arm extending from the registering mechanism of the counter and adaptedto be deprersed by the space bar of the typewriter. and means pivotallymounted adjacent said arm for releasably retaining said arm in depressedposition.

2. in a word counter for a typewriter, an arm extending from theregistering mechanism of the counter and adapted to be depressed by thespace bar or the typewriter. a pivoted bell crank mounted adjacent saidarm, and means rotatable downward on said bell crank tor releasablyretaining said arm in depressed position when said means engagessaid-arm.

3. In a word counter for a typewriter, an arm extending from theregistering mechanism of the counter and adapted to be depressed by thespace bar of the typewriter,

an angular pivoted bell crank mounted adjarent said arm, a pawl pivotedon said bell crank being normally retained in horizontal position toengage said arm, and a depression on said arm for receiving the free endof the pawl.

4. In a word counter for a typewriter, an arm extending from theregistering mecha nism of the counter and adapted to be depressed by thespace bar of the typewriter, an angular pivoted bell crank mountedadjacent said arm, a pawl pivoted on the bell crank so as to' rotatefrom the horizontal downwardly, a depression formed at the. tree end ofsaid arm adapted to receive the nose of said pawl, a spring normallyurging said bell crank into engaging position with the arm, said bellcrank retaining said arm in depressed position until the initial letterof a succeeding word is typed.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature.

STEVEN J. SMITH.

